The beauty of acid etched glass

A month ago, I got a glass splinter stuck in my thumb and I pulled it out. I think that a small piece of it is still in my thumb. The wound healed with some thick skin over it but I still feel something. It’s still has a sharp pain if I rub on it. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should do? Thanks.

10 Comments

Ouch!
It is hard to say without looking at the wound, etc.; I am a nursing student.
My first thought is that the soreness is from healing that is still going on, however:
If you have a tiny splinter still inside, your doctor should remove this and then check for others.
(they can dye the area to see if small microscopic shards of glass are still inside the wound, but to do this they need to reopen the wound–if you ever get another glass splinter, have an E/R doc or nurse dye the wound and check for glass shards.)
Do not reopen the wound yourself. Your doctor or a nurse needs to determine if that is needed, and if they do this, a sterile technique and local anesthetic will be used.
Depending on the size and depth of the wound(if deeper dermal tissure tore, which can sometimes happen), you may be healing for as long as three months, although the wound itself has closed.
If the wound does not feel hot to the touch and isn’t swollen, there is no infection and your thumb will heal with time; the soreness is likely from torn tissue that is still healing internally.
Try applying a hot compress(as hot as you can tolerate without getting burned) on the area every 3-4 hours.
This will speed healing time, and will also help eliminate any infections present. It should help soothe some of the pain as well.
I hope you feel better soon!

CherryBerryon November 30th, -0001

Go to a doctor ASAP.

GiddyUpon November 30th, -0001

Tweezers. Put some antibiotic on that afterwards.

Stareon November 30th, -0001

Oh – this is going to hurt.

If yo want it out now, you’re going to have to dig it out with a sterile needle.

If you wait, your body will eventually eject it on its own (usually).

Salingeron November 30th, -0001

Easiest/Hardest way is to leave it alone until the glass comes out. Your skin layers grow from the inside out. About every day one to two layers die out because of the life cycle of a cell. So it’ll take a few weeks, it’ll come out.

Painful way, use a scaple (small knife) to cut around the glass to take it out

Other ways- ask your doctor

DownUnderon November 30th, -0001

GO TO A DOCTOR! Even a wood splinter can stream down your vessels, toward your heart.

SpeedDemonon November 30th, -0001

Similar thing happened to my girlfriend when she stepped on a broken glass. It was in her foot for a year before she got the courage to cut it out.

The glass will never dissolve or go away. It will be in there until it is physically taken out. As time goes on the body will put down scar tissue and protective layers around the glass. I’m not a doctor, but I think your best bet is to cut the glass out sooner rather than later. The glass might eventually cut its own way out, but that will be painful and annoying.

If you can dig at it a bit with a sterilized needle, maybe you can help it out. Make sure you rub the area and the needle with alcohol or peroxide to keep the wound clean. A doctor will likely just do the same thing, but might have better tools and techniques.

Gilberton November 30th, -0001

Soaking the finger in warm water would soften up the skin surrounding it, then you might get it with tweezers.

FeralFelineon November 30th, -0001

Get a bottle of Jack Daniels a lighter and a swiss army knife.
pour JD on the knife and finger. Take a huge swig, then proceed to dig out the glass. Easy.

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ALES LOMBERGAR is one of the few artisans in Europe who still practice the ancient art of glass acid etching which flourished in the late 19th century. Decorations are applied with resin resists by hand and then exposed to acid baths, with no machinery used. More information here.